Letters to the editor: Cuts to teachers not needed

Friday, February 15, 2013

Cuts to teachers not neededIs Lake Shore Public Schools in financial trouble or are teachers being bullied? At the last school board meeting, teachers told personal stories of losing their homes and other financial burdens endured over the last five years. Unlike other schools in St. Clair Shores, Lake Shore teachers’ pay has been frozen for the last five years, and now the district is coercing them with an ultimatum of taking an additional 10 percent pay decrease before they will provide a more economical health insurance plan that would save the district and teachers thousands of dollars.

Why is the district forcing these cuts when new enrollment is up and the district is educating 80 Chinese students via an international program that fetches $14,000 per student? Additionally, the enrollment for the international program for the coming year is projected to be considerably higher.

Lakeview and Southlake school districts seem to be doing well financially. What is going on at Lake Shore? Is this district really in financial hardship? Is money being mismanaged? How will this affect our students.

ELIOT MIERSMacomb CountyGoing green can be expensive

Sterling Heights and Utica residents are going to pay more for their use of water because they went green. The cities seem to say, “Change your water-gobbling toilet and wasteful shower head, and we will reward you by charging your water bill with higher rates.”

If residents keep saving their water usage, the cities will go deeper into their pockets.